Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 17~18

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Jonathan Livingston Reaper Amy wore an oversized, tattered â€Å"I'M WITH STUPID† nightshirt and Local Motion flip-flops. Her hair was completely flat on one side and splayed out into an improbable sunburst of spikes on the other, making it appear that she was getting hit in the side of the head by a tiny hurricane, which she wasn't. She was, however, performing the longest sustained yawn Clay had ever seen. â€Å"Ooo ahe-e, I aya oa a,† she said in yawnspeak, a language – not unlike Hawaiian – known for its paucity of consonants. (You go ahead, I'm okay, she was saying.) She gestured for Clay to continue. Clay cued the tape and fiddled with the audio. A whale tail in a field of blue passed by on the monitor. â€Å"There's someone outside, Captain.† â€Å"Does he have my sandwich with him?† Amy stopped yawning and scooted forward on the stool she was perched upon behind Clay. When the whale tail came down, Clay stopped the tape and looked back at her. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Play it again.† He did. â€Å"Can we get a feeling for direction?† Amy asked. â€Å"That housing has stereo microphones, right? What if we move the speakers far apart – can we get a sense where it's coming from?† Clay shook his head. â€Å"The mikes are right next to each other. You have to separate them by at least a meter to get any spatial information. All I can tell you is that it's in the water and it's not particularly loud. In fact, if I hadn't been using the rebreather, I'd never have heard it. You're the audio person. What can you tell me?† He ran it back and played it again. â€Å"It's human speech.† Clay looked at her as if to say, Uh-huh, I woke you up because I needed the obvious pointed out. â€Å"And it's military.† â€Å"Why do you think it's military?† Now Amy gave Clay the same look that he had just finished giving her.† ‘Captain'?† â€Å"Oh, right,† said Clay. â€Å"Speaker in the water? Divers with underwater communications? What do you think?† â€Å"Didn't sound like it. Did it sound like it was coming from small speakers to you?† â€Å"Nope.† Clay played it again. â€Å"Sandwich?† he said. â€Å"Sandwich?† â€Å"The Old Broad said that someone called her claiming to be a whale and asked her to tell Nate to bring him a sandwich.† Amy squeezed Clay's shoulder. â€Å"He's gone, Clay. I know you don't believe what I saw happened, but it certainly wasn't about a sandwich conspiracy.† â€Å"I'm not saying that, Amy. Damn it. I'm not saying this had anything to do with Nate's† – he was going to say drowning and stopped himself – â€Å"accident. But it might have to do with the lab getting wrecked, the tapes getting stolen, and someone trying to mess with the Old Broad. Someone is fucking with us, Amy, and it might be whoever is recorded on this tape.† â€Å"And there's no way the camera could have pulled a signal out of the air, something on the same frequency or something? A mobile phone or something?† â€Å"Through a half-inch of powder-coated aluminum housing and a hundred feet of water? No, that signal came in through the mike. That I'm sure of.† Amy nodded and looked at the paused picture on the screen. â€Å"So you're looking for two things: someone military and someone who has an interest in Nate's work.† â€Å"No one – † Clay stopped himself again, remembering what he'd said to Nate when the lab had been wrecked. That no one cared about their work. But obviously someone did. â€Å"Tarwater?† Amy shrugged. â€Å"He's military. Maybe. Leave the tape out. I'll run a spectrograph on the audio in the morning, see if I can tell if it's coming through some kind of amplifier. I've got nothing left tonight – I'm beat.† â€Å"Thanks,† Clay said. â€Å"You get some rest, kiddo. I'm going to hit it, too. I'll be heading down to the harbor first thing.† † ‘Kay.† â€Å"Oh, and hey, the ‘kiddo' thing, I didn't mean – ; Amy threw her arms around him and kissed the top of his head. â€Å"You big mook. Don't worry, we'll get through this.† She turned and started out the door. â€Å"Amy?† She paused in the doorway. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Can I ask you a†¦ personal question, kinda?† â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"The shirt – who's stupid?† She looked down at her shirt, then back at him and grinned. â€Å"Always seems to apply, Clay. No matter where I am or who I'm with, the smoke clears and the shirt is true. You gotta hang on to truth when you find it.† â€Å"I like truth,† Clay said. â€Å"Night, Clay.† â€Å"Night, kiddo.† The next day the weather was blown out, with whitecaps frosting the entire channel across to Lanai and the coconut palms whipping overhead like epileptic dust mops. Clay drove by the harbor in his truck, noting that the cabin cruiser that Cliff Hyland's group had been using was parked in its slip. Then he turned around and caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye as he drove past the hundred-year-old Pioneer Inn – Captain Tarwater's navy whites standing out against the green shiplap. He parked his truck by the giant banyan tree next door and humped it over to the restaurant. When Clay came up to the table, the hostess was just seating Cliff Hyland, Tarwater, and one of their grad students, a young blond woman with a raccoon sunburn and straw-dry hair. â€Å"Hey, Cliff,† Clay said. â€Å"You got a minute?† â€Å"Clay, how you doing?† Hyland took off his sunglasses and stood to shake hands. â€Å"Please, join us.† Clay looked at Tarwater, and the naval officer nodded. â€Å"Sorry to hear about your partner,† he said. Then he looked back down at his menu. The young woman sitting with them was watching the dynamic between the three men as if she might write a paper on it. â€Å"Just a second,† Clay said. â€Å"If I could talk to you outside.† Now Tarwater glanced up and gave Cliff Hyland an almost imperceptible shake of the head. â€Å"Sure, Clay,† Cliff said, â€Å"let's walk.† He looked to the junior researcher. â€Å"When she comes, coffee, Portuguese sausage, eggs over easy, whole wheat.† The girl nodded. Hyland followed Clay out to the front of the hotel, which overlooked the harbor fueling station and the Carthaginian, a steel-hulled replica of a whaling brig, now used as a floating museum. They stood side by side, watching the harbor, each with a foot propped on the seawall. â€Å"What's up, Clay?† â€Å"What are you guys working on, Cliff?† â€Å"You know I can't talk about that. I signed a nondisclosure thing.† â€Å"You got divers in the water, people with underwater coms?† â€Å"Don't be silly, Clay. You've seen my crew. Except for Tarwater, they're just kids. What's this about?† â€Å"Somebody's fucking with us, Cliff. They sank my boat, tore up the office, took Nate's papers and tapes. They're even messing with one of our benefactors. I'm not even sure they don't have something to do with Nate's –  » â€Å"And you think it's me?† Hyland took his foot off the seawall and turned to Clay. â€Å"Nate was my friend, too. I've known you guys, what? Twenty-two, twenty-three years? You can't think I'd do anything like that.† â€Å"I'm not saying you personally. What are you and Tarwater working on, Cliff? What would Nate know that would interfere with what you're doing?† Hyland stared at his feet. Scratched his beard. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"You don't know? You know what we're doing – figure it out. Listen, I know you guys are using a big towable sonar rig, right? What's Tarwater looking at? Some new kind of active sonar? If it didn't have a hinky element, he wouldn't be here on site. Mines?† â€Å"Damn it, Clay, I can't tell you! I can tell you that if I thought it was going to hurt the animals, or anyone in the field for that matter, I wouldn't be doing the work.† â€Å"Remember the navy's Pacific Biological Ocean Science Program? Were you in on that?† â€Å"No. Birds, wasn't it?† â€Å"Yeah, seabirds. The navy came to a bunch of field biologists with a ton of money – wanted seabirds tagged and tracked, behavior recorded, population information, habitat, everything. Everyone thought the heavens had opened up and started raining money. Thought the navy was doing some sort of secret impact study to preserve the birds. Do you know what the study was actually for?† â€Å"No, that was before my time, Clay.† â€Å"They wanted to use the birds as delivery systems for biological weapons. Wanted to make sure they could predict that they'd fly to the enemy. Probably fifty scientists helped in that study.† â€Å"But it didn't happen, Clay, did it? I mean, the data was valuable scientifically, but the weapons project didn't pan out.† â€Å"As far as we know. That's the point. How would we know, until a seagull drops fucking anthrax on us?† Cliff Hyland had aged a couple of years in the few minutes they'd been standing there. â€Å"I promise, Clay, if there's any indication that Tarwater or the navy or any of the spooky guys that come around from time to time are involved with trying to sabotage you guys, I'll call you in an instant. I promise you. But I can't tell you what I'm working on, or why. I don't exactly have funding coming out my ears. If I lose this, I'm teaching freshmen about dolphin jaws. I'm not ready for that. I need to be in the field.† Clay looked at him sideways and saw that there was real concern, maybe even a spark of desperation in Hyland's eyes. â€Å"You know, your funding might be a little easier to come by if you weren't based in Iowa. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no ocean in Iowa.† Hyland smiled at the old dig. â€Å"Thanks for pointing that out, Clay.† Clay extended his hand. â€Å"You promise you'll let me know?† â€Å"Absolutely.† Clay left feeling totally spent. The great head of steam he'd built up through a night of fitful sleep had wilted into exhaustion and confusion. He got in his truck and sat while sweat rolled down his neck. He watched tourists in aloha wear mill around under the great banyan tree like gift-wrapped zombies. Cliff Hyland's eggs were still steaming when he returned to the table. Tarwater looked up from his own breakfast and moved his snow-white hat away from Hyland's plate, as if the rumpled scientist might splash yolk over the gold anchors in a fit of disorganized eating. â€Å"Everything all right?† The young woman at the table fidgeted and tried to look invisible. â€Å"Clay's still a little shaken up. Understandably. He and Nathan Quinn have been working together a long time.† â€Å"Lucky they made it this long without self-destructing,† Tarwater said. â€Å"Slipshod as they run that operation. You see that kid that works for them? Not worth grinding up for chum.† Cliff Hyland dropped his fork in his plate. â€Å"Nathan Quinn was one of the most intuitively brilliant biologists in the field. And Clay Demodocus may very well be the best underwater photographer in the world, certainly when it comes to cetaceans. You have no right.† â€Å"The world turns, Doc. Yesterday's alphas are today's betas. Losers lose. Isn't that what you biologists teach?† Cliff Hyland came very close to burying a fork in Tarwater's tanned forehead, but instead he slowly climbed to his feet. â€Å"I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.† As he walked away, Hyland could hear Tarwater lecturing the junior researcher on how the strong survive. Cliff dug his mobile phone out of the pocket of his safari shirt and began scrolling through the numbers. Clay was just dozing off in the driver's seat when his mobile trilled. Without looking at the display, he figured it was Clair checking up on him. â€Å"Go, baby.† â€Å"Clay, it's Cliff Hyland.† â€Å"Cliff? What's up?† â€Å"You've got to keep this under your hat, Clay. It's my ass.† â€Å"I got you. What is it, Cliff?† â€Å"It's a torpedo range. We're doing site studies for a torpedo test range.† â€Å"Not in the sanctuary?† â€Å"Right in the middle of the sanctuary.† â€Å"Jeepers, Cliff, that's terrible. I don't know if my hat is big enough to hold that.† â€Å"You gave me your word, Clay. What's with ‘jeepers'? Who says ‘jeepers'?† â€Å"Amy does. She's a little eccentric. Tell me more. Does the navy have divers in the water?† CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Heinous Fuckery Most Foul â€Å"Jeepers,† said Amy. She was at Quinn's computer. Streamers of digital videotape were festooned across her lap and over the desk. â€Å"Oh, that's heinous fuckery most foul,† said Kona. He was perched on the high stool behind Amy and actually appeared to be trying to learn something when Clay came in. â€Å"They've been simulating explosions on the lee of Kahoolawe with a big towable array of underwater speakers, measuring the levels. The speaker array is what's in that big case we've seen on their boat.† â€Å"We have a couple of explosions on the singer tapes, but distant,† Amy said. â€Å"Nate thought it might be naval exercises out at sea.† â€Å"Speaking of tapes?† Clay picked up a strand of tape. â€Å"This isn't my rebreather footage, is it?† â€Å"I'm sorry, Clay. I didn't get the video, but I pulled the audio off before this happened. Want to see the spectrograph?† Kona asked, â€Å"You think those voices in the water be navy divers?† Clay looked at Amy, raised an eyebrow. â€Å"He wanted to learn.† â€Å"Cliff says there're no divers in the water, that his operation is it, militarily, in the sanctuary anyway. But he might not even know.† Amy wadded up the videotape and chucked the resulting bird's nest into the wastebasket. â€Å"How can they do that, Clay? How can they put a torpedo range in the middle of the humpback sanctuary? It's not like people won't notice.† â€Å"Yeah, she's a big ocean. Why here?† Kona said. â€Å"I have no idea. Maybe they don't want there to be any mistake about whose waters they're blowing up ordnance in. If they blow them up in between a bunch of American islands, maybe there can't be any misinterpretation about what they're doing.† â€Å"Lost now,† Kona said. â€Å"Does not compute. Danger. Danger. Control room needs herb.† The Rastafarian had affected an accent that seemed an excellent approximation of how a stoned robot might sound. â€Å"Submarine warfare is all about hide and seek with other submarines,† Clay said. â€Å"The crews are autonomous when they're underwater. They make decisions on whether they're being attacked and whether to defend. Maybe if the navy just shot torpedoes off in the middle of the open sea, someone might misinterpret the action as an attack. It's damn unlikely that a Russian sub is going to be cruising up to Wailea for brunch and misinterpret an attack.† â€Å"They can't do that,† Amy said. â€Å"They can't let them set off high explosives around the mothers and calves. It's just insane.† â€Å"They'll go deep and say it doesn't bother them. The navy will guarantee they won't blow up anything shallower than, say, four hundred feet. The humpbacks don't dive that deep in this channel.† â€Å"Yes they do,† Amy said. â€Å"No they don't,† Clay said. â€Å"Yes they do.† â€Å"There's no data on that, Amy. That's specifically what Cliff Hyland asked me about. He wanted to know if we were doing any research on the depth of humpback dives. Said that it would be the only thing the navy would care about.† Amy stood up and shoved the wheeled desk chair away. It bounced off Kona's shins, causing him to wince. â€Å"Ease on up, sistah.† â€Å"Amy, this wasn't my idea,† Clay said. â€Å"I'm just telling you what Hyland told me.† â€Å"Fine,† Amy said. She pushed her way past Clay and headed for the door. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"Somewhere else.† She let the screen door slam behind her. Clay turned to Kona, who appeared to be studying the ceiling with great concentration. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You makin' up that submarine war story?† â€Å"Kind of. I read a Tom Clancy book once. Look, Kona, I'm not supposed to know stuff. Nate knew stuff. I just take the pictures.† â€Å"You think the navy sink your boat? Maybe make something bad happen to Nate?† â€Å"The boat, maybe. I don't think they could have had anything to do with Nate. That was just bad luck.† â€Å"The Snowy Biscuit – all this getting under her skin.† â€Å"Mine, too.† â€Å"I'll go put the calm on her.† â€Å"Thanks,† Clay said. He walked to the other side of the office, slumped in his chair, and pulled his editing tools up on the giant monitor. A half hour later he heard a tiny voice coming through the screen door. â€Å"Sorry,† Amy said. â€Å"It's okay.† She stepped into the room and stood there, not looking as glazed as he would have expected if Kona had put the calm on her in an herbal way. â€Å"Sorry about your tape, too. The camera was making crunching noises on playback, so I sort of rushed taking it out.† â€Å"Not a problem. It was your big rescue scene. It just made me look like an amateur. I got most of it on the hard drive, I think.† â€Å"You did?† She stepped over to the monitor. â€Å"That it?† Frame stopped, the whale tail from the edge, black marks barely visible. â€Å"Just going through it to see if there's anything else the audio picked up. The camera was running the whole time you were saving my bacon.† â€Å"Why don't you let it rest and let me take you out to lunch.† â€Å"It's ten-thirty.† â€Å"What, you're Mr. Rigid Schedule all of a sudden? Come out to lunch with me. I feel bad.† â€Å"Don't feel bad, Amy. It's a huge loss. I†¦ I'm not dealing well myself. You know, to keep this work going, we'll be needing some academic juice.† Amy just stared at the frozen image of the whale tail, and then she caught herself. â€Å"What? Oh, you'll get someone. You put the word out, you'll have Ph.D.'s knocking the door down to work with you.† â€Å"I was thinking about you.† â€Å"Me? I'm crap. I don't even have a bona fide hair color. Ink on my master's isn't even dry. You read my resume.† â€Å"Actually, I didn't.† â€Å"You didn't?† â€Å"You seemed intelligent. You were willing to work for nothing.† â€Å"Nate read it, though, right?† â€Å"I told him you were good. And if it's any consolation, he thought the world of you.† â€Å"That's how you hire? I'm smart and I'm cheap – that's it? What kind of standards do you guys have?† â€Å"Have you met Kona?† She looked back at the monitor, then at Clay again. â€Å"I feel so used. Honored, but used. Look, I'm thrilled you want to keep me on, but I'm not going to bring you funding or legitimacy.† â€Å"I'll worry about that.† â€Å"Worry about it after lunch. Come on, I'll buy.† â€Å"You're poor. Besides, I'm meeting Clair for lunch at one.† â€Å"Okay. Can I borrow Nate's – uh, the green truck?† â€Å"Keys are on the counter.† Clay waved over his shoulder toward the kitchen. Amy took the keys, then started out the door, caught herself, then ran back, and threw her arms around the photographer. â€Å"I really appreciate your asking me to stay.† â€Å"Go. Take Kona with you. Feed him. Hose him off.† â€Å"Nope, if you're not coming, I'm going solo. Tell Clair hi for me.† â€Å"Go.† He looked back at the computer, looked past the window at the brilliant Maui sun, then shut the computer down, feeling very much as if nothing he did mattered or would ever matter again.

Lab Report Daphnia

Effects of Alcohol, Caffeine, and Temperature on the Heart Rate of Daphnia magna Joseph Ezra Gallo BY124L MW 8:30-11:30 Introduction Ectothermic animals are animals whose body temperature is affected by their surroundings. This means that if the environment is cold the animal will be cold. If the environment is warm the animal will be warm. This is because the animal doesn’t have the capability of regulating its body systems to keep a constant body temperature. When an ectothermic animal is cold, its heart rate will lower.When the animal is warmer, the heart rate will raise – as long as the temperature isn’t sufficiently high to harm the animal. (Campbell, 2005) Alcohol is a depressant. This means that body systems will slow down when alcohol is introduced. In particular, the heart rate will get consistently lower. If too much alcohol is added, it will result in the death of the animal. The alcohol acts by inhibiting the nervous system. (LaFave, 2003) After an in toxicating exposure to alcohol, an organisms system will be impaired for an extended period of time. Caffeine is a stimulant.It will work by causing the nervous system to work faster. Also, it will cause the blood vessels to constrict. (LaFave, 2003) These effects will work together to increase an animals heart rate. Under normal circumstances, the heart rate will increase as more caffeine is added. At some point the high concentration of caffeine will cause the heart to stop functioning. The effect of one outside substance can impair the effects of other substances. In this experiment we will intoxicate an organism. As a result, the nervous system will have difficulty responding when we introduce a stimulant.The caffeine will have no effect on the organism, because it will be insufficient to overcome the effects of the alcohol exposure. Background Daphnia magna is a freshwater ectothermic crustacean commonly referred to as a water flea. Its body is transparent. Because of its trans parency we can observe the effects of substances on its body without surgical procedures. We can observe the heart of the Daphnia to be dorsal to the backbone, just behind the head. (Helms, 1998) The average Daphnia has a heart rate of about 180 beats per minute under normal conditions.We will observe the effects of temperature fluctuations, alcohol, and caffeine on this ectothermic animal. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1: The hypothesis is that lowering the temperature of the surroundings of the ectothermic Daphnia magna will cause its heart rate to lower, and raising the temperature will increase heart rate. Hypothesis 2: The hypothesis is that the heart rate of Daphnia magna will decrease as higher concentrations of alcohol solution are introduced to the system. Hypothesis 3: The hypothesis is that the heart rate of Daphnia magna will increase as higher concentrations of caffeine solution are introduced to the system.Materials and Methods For the sake of time, the experiment was split in to two parts and each part was performed by a different team. One team worked on the effects of temperature changes on heart rate. The other team worked on the effects of Alcohol and Caffeine on the heart rate. Both teams obtained a plastic pipette and cut off the tip at the first graduation from the bottom to allow Daphnia magna to fit into the pipette. The teams each obtained a depression slide and smeared a small amount of petroleum jelly on one of the wells.Any excess petroleum jelly was wiped off so that there was only one layer on the well. Then each team used their pipette to draw a Daphnia magna from the jar and placed it on the petroleum jelly covered well. A Kimwipe was used to draw off excess fluid from the slide. Then one drop of solution was placed on the Daphnia magna to prevent it from drying out. Each slide was placed on a dissection microscope and the heart was located using the Helms manual and help from the lab instructor. Then one minute was given for the Daphnia magna to calm down.The following was the procedure used by the temperature team. After the Daphnia was given time to calm down, the team took a reading of its heart rate at room temperature (27 degrees C). The reading was taken by counting the heart beats for ten seconds and then multiplying by six to yield beats per minute. Next, a glass Petri dish was filled with ice water at five degrees Celsius. The cold water Petri dish was placed on the stage of the microscope, and the Daphnia was placed on top of the dish. When the Daphnia had been given a minute to acclimate to the changes, another heart rate reading was taken.Then the same procedure using the Petri dish to changed environmental conditions was used with cold tap water (23 degrees), warm tap water (30 degrees), and hot tap water (45 degrees). A heart rate reading was taken for each temperature. The following was the procedure used by the team that introduced chemicals into the environment of the Daphnia. First a zero reading was taken before any chemicals were introduced. The zero reading was an observation of the Daphnia’s heart rate before any substances were administered. All fluids were drawn off the slide using the corner of a Kimwipe.Then two drops of two percent alcohol solution were dropped onto the Daphnia. After a minute a heart rate reading was taken. The same procedure, including using the Kimwipe to draw off previous solution, was then used with four, six, eight, and ten percent solutions. A heart rate reading was taken after each solution was introduced. After the last alcohol solution a Kimwipe was used to draw off all of the solution and a drop of Daphnia culture fluid was added. After a minute another zero reading was taken. The team then used the same procedure used with alcohol to introduce caffeine solution of the same concentrations.Heart rate readings were taken after each solution. Results Table #1: Effect of Temperature Variations on Heart Rate of Daphnia magna |Temperatu re (C) |Heart rate (beats/minute) | |Room Temp. |224 | |5 degrees |146 | |23 degrees |182 | |30 degrees |214 | |45 degrees |0 (dead) |As the environment got further away from room temperature the effects were more pronounced. The heart rate got increasingly lower as Daphnia was placed in colder environments. The heart rate was 224 bpm at room temperature, then 182 at 23 degrees, and then 146 at 5 degrees. When the temperature was considerably higher than room temperature the Daphnia could not handle the extreme, and it died. Death occurred at 45 degrees. (Table 1)Table #2: Effect of Alcohol Solutions on Heart Rate of Daphnia magna |Concentration of Solution |Heart rate (beats/minute) | |0% |126 | |2% |84 | |4% |57 | |6% |42 | |8% |30 | |10% |18 | As higher concentrations of alcohol were introduced, the heart rate of Daphnia lowered on a steady trend. Heart rate was 84 bpm with 2% alcohol, 57 bpm with 4% alcohol, and 42 bpm at 6% alcohol. It can also be observed that the resting hear t rate of this Daphnia was considerable lower than that of the Daphnia used in the temperature experiments. (Table 2) Table #3: Effect of Caffeine Solution on Heart Rate of Daphnia magna |Concentration of Solution |Heart rate (beats/minute) | |0% |6 | |2% |6 |4% |6 | |6% |6 | |8% |6 | |10% |0 (dead) | The zero heart rate was lower than the heart rate at the highest level of alcohol concentration. As higher concentrations of caffeine solution were introduced, there was no effect on this Daphnia. When a ten percent solution was added the heart stopped. (Table 3) Discussion Table 1 showed the trend of Daphnia magna’s heart rate lowering as temperatures were lowered.Based on this data it can be reasoned that Daphnia’s heart rate will lower anytime it is introduced to a colder environment. At some point Daphnia would freeze and die, but barring that point the heart rate would get lower and lower with colder temperatures. Along the same line of thinking, increasing envir onmental temperatures would increase Daphnia’s heart rate until the temperature is too high for survival. This data did not completely support the hypothesis because there was no provision for the possibility of death in the hypothesis. If the data had supported the hypothesis the Daphnia would have had a higher heart rate at 45 degrees rather than dying. Table 2 showed the effects of alcohol on Daphnia’s heart rate.The higher the concentration of alcohol, the lower Daphnia’s heart rate got. It can be assumed that this trend would continue until the Daphnia died. This data supported the hypothesis. Table 3 showed the effects of caffeine on Daphnia. This table showed no trend. As a result of the lack of a trend, this data did not support the hypothesis. This can be explained several ways. First, it could have been experimental error. The solution team could have forgotten to use a Kimwipe to remove an alcohol solution from the Daphnia. There also could have been errors in the way Daphnia was handled. Another possible explanation was that the Daphnia was too weak from the beginning.The Daphnia in the temperature experiments had a considerably higher heart rate than that of the Daphnia used in the solution experiments. This could show that the solution Daphnia was weak at the onset of the experiment. As a result the alcohol exposure was unrecoverable for that Daphnia. The ectothermic qualities of Daphnia explained the effects of temperature on the animal. (Campbell, 2005) Daphnia was more tolerant to lower temperatures than to higher temperatures. This was expected since Daphnia usually lives in cold water. (LaFave, 2003b) The alcohol affected Daphnia as expected. (LaFave, 2003) When the caffeine was introduced to the system, there was no change. This was not what we expected based on knowledge of how stimulants affect animals. LaFave, 2003) This can be explained by the excessive nervous system inhibition caused by the alcohol. This experimen t can be used to show the practical application of chemicals and temperatures in regulating body function. It showed that a standard temperature is most preferred by an ectothermic creature. It also shows that chemicals can be introduced if there is any reason to sedate or revive a creature. These things have an obvious practical application in the medical field. Another application is in biological research when samples need to be kept alive, sedated for viewing, or revived. Conclusions 1. Daphnia magna is influenced by certain environmental conditions. 2. Daphnia magna cannot function in extreme situations. 3.Daphnia magna was unable to recover from the high alcohol concentrations. 4. The ectothermic nature and transparency of Daphnia magna made it very easy to observe the effects of environmental changes. Bibliography Campbell, Neil. , Jane B. Reece. 2005. Biology, 7th ed. Beth Wilbur ed. Benjamin Cummings Publishing, San Francisco, CA. pp 833-834. Helms, Doris. , Carl Helms. , R obert Kosinski. , John Cummings. , 1998. Biology in the Laboratory, 3rd ed. Judith Wilson ed. W. H. Freeman and Company Publishing, New York, New York. pp. 38-14 – 38-16 LaFave, N. Virtual Water Flea Experiment. http://www. geocities. com/nck12nlafave/daphnia. htm. 2003.

Nursing Program-Ethical Dilemma Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing Program-Ethical Dilemma - Research Paper Example Within the health care provision, there is the nursing profession that deals with the care that is provided to the individuals, communities, and families in a bid to make them attain, recover, and maintain a quality life with optimal health. There is, however, a clear differentiation of nursing from other health care providers through several criteria that revolve around their approach to the patient in providing care, practice, scope as well as the training (Guido 62). It will be appreciated that most of the nurses only provide care with the directive of the physician, and this is probably why nursing profession is referred to as care providers. The assignments undertaken by nurses are challenging, and they usually strive to offer the best out of their capacity. Despite this, they encounter a challenging and ethical dilemma and meet varied reaction from the parties involved. In this regard, there have been cases that nurses made decision which were not welcoming to a selected group of persons. Nevertheless, nurses are also allowed to independently practice and make jurisdictions based on their level of training. Due to the technological advancement in various fields, nursing has faced several evolutions and is diverting rapidly to accommodate areas that traditionally were not observed to be valuable. According to the American Nursing Association (ANA), nursing is referred to as a profession that takes the responsibility of providing protection, optimizing health, promoting those skills that will enhance a healthy living and alleviating suffering inflicted through unrelenting diagnosis and treatment (Bishop and Scudder 54). They are also believed to be the advocates for the families, communities, population and individuals so that the latter can embrace a healthy living life. With reference to this, it is unfortunate that nurses are faced with several issues during the discharge of their duties, and this is impairing their abilities to take full responsibilities in the wor k that they should do. Nurses are also faced with a plethora of ethical dilemmas that need to be adequately addresses to allow them have courage and take charge for their duties. When encountered by an ethical dilemma, the decision one makes may have severe consequences, which may be beyond his/her capacity. In this regard, several nurses have been charged for action that they have done while providing care for the patients, and this has attracted a divided opinion on the same. In this regard, careful consideration of all aspects of an activity should be done to ensure that the right course of action is taken. Nurses have the responsibility of providing the best service to their clients (patient), in a bid to ensure that their recovery is quick. Despite this, it is also agreed that the recovery of a patient is to some extent beyond the capabilities of nurses. There are the proponents of the opinion that nurses have to be charged in case of deteriorating health of the patient which c an be attributed to them. On the same breath, there are those who believe that nurses are supposed to be cushioned by the law under such circumstance that a dilemma arises and not be liable for any prosecution in a given case. The opponents of the nurses’ prosecution believe that there is no justification to file a suit for a nurse who is discharging a mandate, and resolving a dilemma, opt for a course that dissatisfies other parties. They propose that in the case of a dilemma, the nurse should remain supreme and be insulated against any form of prosecution. Moreover, no matter how direct the solution to a problem appear, any decision made meet mixed reactions, and thus it is impossible to meet the expectation of all persons. In this regard, provided that the

Promotion of both new and existing products can standout without price Coursework

Promotion of both new and existing products can standout without price reduction - Coursework Example The development of such brands shows that promotion of both new and old products can stand out and result in immense profitability without an element of price reductions. The development of such brands by Apple, Nike and Wal-Mart among others continues to show the position retail revolution that continues to influence the nature of brand-customer relationship as the discussion below portrays. As explained earlier, price is an equally significant element of the marketing mix that influences the profitability of a product since customers often consider the price of products. Despite such basic understandings, modern marketing trends such as the evolution of retail marketing coupled with retail revolution continue to restructure the market place. Currently, marketers have succeeded in developing effective brand loyalty with customers who can overlook the price of a product. Such developments show changing consumer behavior and the consumer purchasing decisions. Additionally, the inception and use of social media in the promotion has succeeded in enhancing the process of developing formidable brand loyalties. The form of new media provides both retailers and manufacturers with unique opportunities to interact with their target customers thereby influencing the trends in the society. Effective brands influence cultures in the society with customers purchasing the products of a particular brand irrespective of the price of the products. Understanding consumer behavior and consumer buying decisions are vital in the process of developing effective brands capable of overcoming the allure of price in marketing. Consumer behavior refers to the study of organizations, groups and individuals with the view to understand how they secure, use and dispose of both products and services. Understanding consumer behavior and their purchasing decisions is the basic drill in promoting either old or

Affection Of Different Identity Categories Essay

Affection Of Different Identity Categories - Essay Example The development of gender relies on the sex of an individual, and it exaggerates the difference between being either a girl or boy. It is influenced by societal beliefs and cultural practices. People are grouped to be either masculine or feminine in this category. Gender dictates what should be done and by who in the society. They are socialized to acquire traditions and values that that will make him or her to fit in the society. They grow holding the traditions of the community that surface later on in their adulthood. This socialization promotes gender disparity in the society. One grows entirely trying to meet the expectations the community has for them. The girl child is socialized to be like her mother. When young she gets associated with various responsibilities that make her learn the difference between her and boys. She starts imitating what her mother does like cooking, playing with dolls, and also cleaning. She grows knowing that women have the responsibility to prepare, t aking care of the kids, aged the sick, cleaning and mainly doing the domestic chores. One becomes an adult knowing that their place is at home and not in the public sphere. Gender determines the courses that we do in schools and also the jobs to do. Gender stereotypes male child. Boys are said to take part in courses such as mathematics and also medicine field while girls who viewed to be feminine are supposed to do social sciences. It further affects the level of employment for women since they cannot freely choose their career.  

Contemporary Development in Business and Management Essay

Contemporary Development in Business and Management - Essay Example The telecom network in India were historically owned and managed by the Government of India as they considered that natural monopoly and strategic service were best controlled under the states supervision. The Department of Telecommunication (DoT), which is now known as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), was the single largest provider of telecom services. However, the examples of privatization in other economies in the 1990's, which resulted in better quality of service and lower tariffs, led Indian policy makers to initiate a change process. This finally resulted in unlocking the sector for the private operators. Unwrapping the sector was although greeted with a lot of optimism counting the potential and the kind of services the operators could offer, however the sky-scraping license fees, high investment requirements were not matched by a corresponding increase in revenues. With the subscriber base not matching up the expectation and airtime usage remaining sluggish, business plans made by the service providers began to falter that resulted in small companies winding up their businesses early. One of the first steps towards introducing reforms in the sector by the government was with the setting up of Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in 1984. It was made with an objective of managing research in the switching and transmission segments. Thereupon, the government separated the Department of Post and Telegraph in 1985 by setting up the Department of Post and the Department of Telecommunications. In the year government instituted two public corporations viz. The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). These were set up under supervision of Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The VSNL worked out an exclusive arrangement for access to undersea wideband cable capacity with Fibre Optic Link around the Globe (FLAG), an international telecom carrier in which it had invested US$37 million. However, the prime minister's office (PMO) intervened to make the VSNL review these exclusive rights. Ultimately, other private operators were given the right to work with FLAG and other similar carriers to have access to undersea bandwidth for providing ILD services. The VSNL's monopoly status was to be reviewed in the year 2004. Over a period of time the government diluted its stake in the VSNL by issuing global depository receipts (GDRs). Till the year 2000, the government still held nearly 53 per cent of the equity. The VSNL's incoming international traffic grew at an average rate of 24 per cent per annum between 1990 to 2000, and over the same period incoming calls grew by 12 per cent per annum. The VSNL's revenue could easily compare with the leading telecom companies of smaller countries like Chile, Pakistan, and Malaysia. In the year 1997, the government instituted a body called Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI. The authority was helpful in getting the private cellular operators approach them before contesting their case before DoT. The telecom Policies In 1994 the government issued the first ever Telecommunications Policy. The policy was issued to provide universal access to basic telecommunications services by 1997 and offered guidelines for entry of the private sector into basic telecommu

Emerging Market of Saudi Arabia Research Proposal

Emerging Market of Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example The initiates taken by both the government and the private sector players have promoted the investment opportunity in Saudi Arabia by creating effective partnerships with the Saudi Businessmen in effort to bring newer industries or modern technology to the country. Added emphasis is being given on attracting the infrastructure promotion and power generation but the investments made in these sectors are yet to exhibit the financial attractiveness in it. The existing capital investment from foreign institutions specifies three conditions (U.S. department of Commerce , n.d. ), The Saudi Arabia is a rapidly growing region among Arab countries and hence the empirical evidence gained from the choice each firms make on their capital structure (Leverage ratio) could be used to gauge their financial performance in the emerging scenario. This aspect as been considered on the reason that detailed and more exhaustive studies are needed to make valid conclusions on the best capital structure for any company (Rajan & Zingales, 1995, Harris and Raviv, 1991). Further, a few researchers have alos raised an opinion of the influence of organizational characteristics on the corporate leverage level, thus making this research more valid (Fan et al., 2004; Hall et al., 2004; De Jong et al., 2007). Thus, in order to understand the better performance of business organizations in the emerging market the criteria it is proposed to adopt the debt / equity ratio as the most appropriate parameter. Further, Saudi Arabia has a highly conservative financial market where the interest from debts is considered as illegal. Thus this creates a situation of very low leverage. Thus as companies have decided to undergo the process of financial planning the present approach would be turned from the debt to be linked more to equity approach. Thus this study could open newer vistas of academic research in the area of financial planning for the companies and proposing better investment options. 2: CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE & STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The topic of capital structure is very important considering the potential of investment that the Saudi Arabian companies claim to have. The leverage signifies the amount of the debt securities the is issued by an establishment in event of the capital requirement. Hence, the extend of leverage that the firm carries in its capital structure is very important to understand the exact picture of financial performance. Thus the uncertainty of future profitability would loom large as the company would have to make regular interest payments besides the principal repayment. While the increased use of debt would result in a higher value of debt to assets ratio which explains the proportionate amount of fund the firm have borrowed with respect the assets owned by it. Thus the leverage or debt/equity ratio highlights the profits for a firm with positive earning while exposing the loses for a firm with negative records in earning. Thus in the research would help to

Foundations of property (How useful is the idea of ownership to an Essay

Foundations of property (How useful is the idea of ownership to an understanding of property in law) - Essay Example He and his students turned the legal profession decisively towards the second. Hohfeld fired a barrage of influential arguments that sunk the old property is things conception within the legal profession.2 Hohfeld argued that lawyers had often been misled by the contrast between the rights in rem and rights in personam to think that property rights were actually rights "against things," which is absurd since practically all rights are against people. Hohfeld and his followers objected that regarding property as things leaves intellectual property unaccounted for. They also complained that regarding property as a thing led to a misplaced focus on physical possession of an object instead of on the complexes of rights that form the stuff of modern property law.3 And most importantly, Hohfeldian analysis was thought to give the fatal blow to property is things by proving it incapable of handling divided or multiple ownership. Bruce Ackerman describes the standard "divided control" object ion to property is things and the legal orthodoxy that formed around it: "Instead of defining the relationship between a person and 'his' things, property law discusses die relationships that arise between people with respect to things. More precisely, the law of property considers the way rights to things may be parceled out amongst a host of competing resource users."4 This thinking is pivotal for understanding the concept of property and ownership, their essences and characteristics. From the critical perspective, it is widely emphasised in literature that the property as concept can be easily confused with property-regarding actions. For instance, there is an evident the danger of confusing property with possession, which ideas are as different from each other as marriage and mating. Property and possession change can occur at the same time. For instance, there are cases where someone acquires a thing by taking hold of it and where a transfer is affected by something "changing hands," and where a person abandons property by letting it go. Yet changes in possession are neither necessary nor sufficient for changes in ownership, because property and possession have no necessary relation. A thief, for example, has possession but no property. As Bentham puts it, the relation that constitutes property "is not material, it is metaphysical": "a piece of stuff which is actually in the Indies may belong to me while the dress I wear may not. The aliment which is incorporated into my very body may belong to another, to whom I am bound to account for it."5 The property relation is not a physical relation between a person and a thing, but a normative (moral or legal) relationship between persons with respect to things. Property, unlike possession, is a matter of rights. One only loses track of the distinction sometimes because the two concepts frequently go together in everyday life. For instance, property and possession are easily conflated because possession is often conventionally or legally connected with the establishment of property rights. By laws, the first person to possess an unclaimed object usually (but not always) becomes the owner of the object; and a

Olympic Village Project Management Essay Example for Free

Olympic Village Project Management Essay On July 6 2005, the International Olympic Committee announced the designation of London as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games. 8 days later, the Olympic Bill was introduced to the Parliament, allowing the launch of lottery scratch cards in order to fund the Games. In the preparation of the reception of the Games, the city of London started a big renovation plan that came with the construction of several infrastructures. Among them was the Olympic Village. Before Execution Presentation The Olympic Village had the most spacious accommodation in the history of the Games, with ample room to house the 16,000 athletes and NOC team officials in 17,320 beds, and with the capacity to add more if required. The Olympic Village was conveniently located in the midst of most sports venues. The great majority of competitors (80% of Olympic athletes and over 95% of Paralympic athletes) will be within 20 minutes of their venues. Though unified in design, the Olympic Village had distinct residential and international zones in strict accord with IOC Olympic Village guidelines. The international zone, located north of Stratford International station, comprises athletes’ entertainment and leisure facilities, the visitors’ welcome centre, the media sub-centre, meeting rooms and conference facilities and areas for the Welcome Ceremonies and flag displays. The residential zone contains the apartments, the main dining facility and the polyclinic. Adjacent buildings houses various services including athlete accreditation, sports information, the NOC centre, the Olympic Village operations and service area (VOSA), the athletes’ disco and the Chef de Mission meeting hall. The transport mall was split into two main areas. One served the Olympic Park and the other provided transit to other London competition venues. As the Games progressed, bus services operated from here to London’s key tourist venues. Transport within the Olympic Village itself was provided by a zero-emission continuous bus shuttle to connect apartment blocks with all the main facilities, including the transport mall and dining facilities. This service ran on a continuous 24-hour basis, although on a reduced basis during the early hours of the morning (01.00hrs to 05.00hrs). The Olympic Village’s main entrance is at the southern end of the complex, close to Stratford International station and the main vehicle pickup/drop off facility. Secure car parking for accredited guests and visiting officials will be nearby. Schedule Given the size and the nature of the project, the LOCOG (London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games) and the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) did not wait for the IOC decision to begin the project of the construction of an Olympic Village. As we can see on the table below, the organizations started, since 2003, the groundwork for the athletes’ accommodation. By the time the IOC gave its verdict, the location was chosen and the designing details were already on their way. As the soon as the decision was made public, the tendering for the main contractor began. Shortly after, the construction on-site started with the demolition phase. The construction of the Village was completed in early 2012 for a total duration on-site of almost 6 years. Location The area chosen as the construction site was located in east London, seven minutes from all of the attractions of the city centre and in the heart of the Olympic Park. This location is part of the development project of Stratford City. Stratford City will bring almost 5 000 homes and 30 000 jobs to Stratford and has been given outline planning consent. The project, once completed, will be one of the largest mixed use developments in the UK for many years. It is the brainchild of development partners Chelsfield plc, Stanhope plc and London and Continental Railways. The plans include 465,000 square meters of offices, 4,850 new homes for approximately 11,000 people, 150,500 square meters of retail space and up to 2,000 hotel bedrooms. Work began in 2006 and is expected to take 20 years to complete. Environmental In early 2003, the governmental organizations carried a full environmental impact assessment as part of the Olympic masterplan planning applications. This environmental assessment considered existing site conditions, potential impacts of Olympic developments on the site and its surroundings, as well as opportunities for environmental management, awareness-raising and cultural activities. The studies and mitigation proposals have formed the basis for a detailed environmental brief for the Olympic Village. It includes: †¢ Application of the highest recognized UK standards for sustainable construction to meet carbon emission and waste minimization targets †¢ Climate-proofing to take account of predicted climate changes in the decades ahead †¢ An integrated approach to resource management and infrastructure development for energy, water and waste †¢ Emphasis on access, mobility and community services infrastructure to reduce car dependency and promote healthier lifestyles †¢ High soundscape quality and a legacy of exemplary noise management practices with supportive soundscapes for people with visual and hearing impairments †¢ Incorporation of green space and biodiversity into the design to provide ecological, water management, air quality and visual amenity benefits. Paralympic considerations Because the Village also welcomed the athletes participating in the Paralympic Games, the service providers were asked to make necessary adjustments to the physical features of their premises to allow equal access for all in accordance with the UK’s Building Regulations. The LOCOG will ensure that the Paralympic Village will meet any new standards agreed with the IPC, such as single room accommodation for every athlete with a severe disability (such as those who use an electric wheelchair for daily living). Every apartment will benefit from spacious bathrooms and shower rooms. Because the Paralympic Village will be specifically designed to be accessible, the IPC and the NPCs will – for the first time – be able to indicate in advance where any special aids and facilities should be located. Costs planning The construction costs were planned to reach $ 1 101 million for a 5 years project (from June 2007 to May 2012). As we can see on the table below, almost the total of that sum has been used for the main construction work of the site. The LOCOG financed the temporary works for an amount of  £ 61 million. Those temporary workers, employed in early 2012, were given the task to tune up the Village (equipping it with furnitures). The financing of the permanent workers for an amount of more than a billion pounds will be discussed in the next point.

Fanny Robin Essay Example for Free

Fanny Robin Essay With closer reference to chapters 7, 11 and 16 (appendix), explore Hardy’s presentation of Fanny Robin In chapter seven of the book ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy, we are introduced to the character Fanny Robin. She is introduced during the night in the bleak darkness of a churchyard which symbolises death and possibly foreshadows unfortunate future events for Fanny. We are told that Fanny has ‘a bundle of some sort’ at her feet; from this, we can notice that Fanny is possibly running away from something. There is evidence that she is poor because she is described as ‘rather thinly clad’, and it is unusual for someone to be wearing very few clothes at such a cold time of year. Oak spares Fanny some money, and in the exchange of the shilling, Oak felt her pulse, it is described as ‘beating with a tragic intensity’ which means that he can notice that she is unhealthy, but the word ‘tragic’ stands out because it suggests a tragedy, where someone usually dies. This also makes us think of a stereotypical image of a heroin in Victorian times; because she is ill, she seems angelic, like she belongs in heaven. Hardy also shows a contrast between Bathsheba and Fanny. Fanny was very grateful and thankful for Oaks generosity and says thank you whereas Bathsheba, in chapter one, doesn’t take much notice of Oaks kindness. Hardy also shows this contrast by use of Pathetic Fallacy; when Bathsheba is introduced, it is made clear to us that she wants to stand out, ‘the sun lighted up to a scarlet glow the crimson jacket she wore. ’ which shows that she is very passionate and unconventional. However, to describe Fanny, Hardy uses expressions like ‘motionless stranger’, which dehumanises her and makes her seem really small and weak. In Chapter eleven, it becomes clear that Fanny had been running away to go and visit her boyfriend, Frank who is a soldier. Soldiers often had a reputation for having many girlfriends so, in this chapter, Fanny comes across as being quite naive. There is more emphasis and description of Fanny’s weakness because she is described as a ‘form’ which makes her seem like a tiny blot or shape in the distance. More Pathetic Fallacies are used in chapter eleven, it is night time, ‘The bell was in the open air, and being overlaid with several inches of muffling snow’, which is describing the setting as being muted and extremely quiet. This person was so much like a mere shade upon the earth’. The word ‘shade’ stands out because it is often a word used instead of ghost. These things could signify death in the relationship of Fanny and Frank. When Fanny tries to gain Frank’s attention outside his window, she throws snow at it, ‘thrown with such imbecility as was shown here’, this shows fanny’s fragility and her inability to do even one small thing; she has to try another couple of times before she actually captures his attention. It shows her persistence and desperation. When Fanny introduces herself to Frank, he says ‘What girl are you? ’ which suggests that Fanny isn’t his only girlfriend, and that he has many. She responds to him, ‘Your wife, Fanny Robin’, which tells us that Frank and Fanny have had some sexual relations because she considers herself to be his wife, but this wouldn’t be openly spoken or written about in Victorian times. Frank asks Fanny, ‘How did you come here? ’; this shows that he did not expect her to be able to visit him because the journey is so long. Franks is inside in the warmth, whereas Fanny is left outside in the cold which show that he’s not particularly interested in her and that he has power over her because they are not in the same room or on the same level. Fanny asks ‘When will it be? ’ to which Frank replies, ‘I don’t quite recollect’ which is playing with her feelings. Fanny then asks when it is they shall be married and Frank is very hesitant and dashes are used in the dialogue which shows that he is not very keen, and has no intention of marriage. The dashes are also use in Fanny’s dialogue, but this is to show emotion in her speech. It is hinted that Fanny and Frank have had sexual relations on more than one occasion because Fanny says ‘You said lots of times you would marry me’. It is possible that Frank only said that he would marry her in order to get her to have sex with him. This also implies that there is a very high chance that Fanny could be pregnant, which could be why she is so desperate to get married and she wants the marriage to happen as soon as possible. She would be thought very poorly of if she was to have a baby out of wed-lock because there was a lot of stigma around this sort of thing in Victorian times, and it would be very difficult for er to find another job or another husband. However, in this chapter, Hardy wants the reader to sympathise for Fanny, because it would not be easy to be in her situation. In chapter sixteen (appendix), the chapter is split up into four main parts to resemble the quarters of the clock. This creates an atmosphere and it emphasises the growing frustration and embarrassment of Frank when Fanny doesn’t show up for their wedding. Frank and Fanny were due to be married in the church, ‘All saints’, but instead, Fanny went to ‘All Souls’, and as a result, was late for her own wedding. This is symbolic because we usually associate souls with death. When Fanny turns up, she asks if they can be married the next day, but Frank says ‘I don’t go through that experience again for some time, I warrant you! ’ because he has lost his pride. Fanny is trembling which shows that she is a conventional image of a woman and lowers herself to men. A lot of the description of Fanny symbolises and foreshadows death; there are many hints that something will go wrong for her or someone close to her in the future. Hardy has created a presentation of a very weak character, who doesn’t want to stand out, but she is also very mysterious and I think that she has a lot of secrets hidden.

Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System

Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System Introduction The whole principle of this study report is to identify and appreciate the value of performance appraisal system, from the staff point of view, in command to notify a developed system that will be executed in Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. The first chapter gives a general idea of the entire dissertation. It will present background to the research, give explanation exactly what the matter is that needs research, validate the project, and present a summary of the methodology that will be used. Background to the research Sidmak India was established in 1984 in technical collaboration with Sidmak USA. Sidmak India has successfully adopted various technology platforms under this collaboration and continues to develop additional technologies. Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a pharmaceutical corporation contains developing ability at Gujarat, India. Sidmak point towards at improved safety and ease for human life through a dedicated excellence in manufacturing recommendation drugs, specifically oral dosages. The organisation is permitted by W.H.O. as per GMP rule and by local FDA as per Drug and Cosmetic Act. The organisation has skill in the production of constant release solid dosage mode. Sidmak manufactures both pharmaceuticals as well as nutraceuticals products. The organisation preserves highest level of quality by sticking on to cGMP and cGLP compliance rule in manufacturing products and meeting national and international requirement. Working with Sidmak has given me good experience about how to work in an organisation. It has also given me knowledge about the flow or work from one department to another department. Thought the work flow is very smooth in Sidmak, I personally feel that it can be more productive and beneficial to the employee and the organisation if company adopts proper appraisal system. Research Questions The whole research dilemma relates to the reliability and effectiveness of performance appraisal systems. The literature review will sketch many comments in relation to the plan and function of such systems. It was transparent from administrating the literature review that a large amount had been written regarding the effectiveness of performance appraisal system. The goal, therefore, of this dissertation is to realize and appreciate the effectiveness of performance appraisal, from the staff point of view. Four objectives have been recognised, and by undertaking these unified objectives, a comprehensive literature review, and new practical research, answers to the problem should be known. The objectives of this research are: Methodology The research pattern take on is interpretive. The interpretive model is an idealistic location which is related to with understanding the way we humans build logic of the world surrounding us (Saunder at al, 2007). The purpose for this method are set out in describe in the methodology. The study method is qualitative. The methodology is extra related with human questions than pure science. The literature review does not place out a specific theory, but does set up a theoretical structure to assist the gathering and study of data, to respond the research issues. The preferred research tactic is a case study. The practical data will be established on qualitative interview techniques. This will present the utmost transform of successful research, as it will quantify human reaction. It can also be accomplished inside the timescale of the project. Semi-structured interviews and utilise of secondary data from comprehensive Employee estimation Survey will be incorporated in the research methods. The primary source includes the personal experience which I had experienced while working with Sidmak Laboratories (I) Pvt. Ltd. and the secondary sources includes information gathered through surfing the internet, information available on intranet site on knowledge management, different study materials, and sample performance appraisal forms obtained from reliable resources. The research will permit evaluation between groups of employees, to find out if duration of service or superiority is a issue. Privacy will be guaranteed to participants and the information will be edited to look after the identification of persons before it is pass around to the organisations management board. Outline of the chapters Chapter 1 This chapter presents a summary of the entire project. It puts out what the research area is, splits it down into a sequence of objectives for the project, and associates this to the background of the firm that is to be researched in depth. Chapter 2 This section reviews literature related to the research purposes. It constructs a theoretical establishment upon which the research is build. It starts with an assessment of what performance is, and why it is measured. The vital parts of a valuable and efficient performance appraisal system consist of recognize its foundations and the important steps that set the foundation. It is also essential to make out the objectives and advantages of this system. For profit realization it is required to recognize Key Result Areas (KRAs) i.e. goal setting and observe resulting performance so that a significant relationship between performance, reward and development of necessary skills, through counseling, can be set up. And a lot of thinking, suggestions and bright ideas are required to be done to develop a sensible appraisal system by assessing available techniques and execution process. The section then takes into account how performance appraisal fits into the parent control of performance m anagement. A study of literature including appraisal systems and their application follows, and this consists of reference to new appraisals. The above data will then direct to the creating of the conceptual type that will be build up through the research. Chapter 3 This section explains the methodology that will be employed to collect the primary data. It will sketch the research model selected, put out the research strategy, and also give explanation for the selection of the methodology. Ethical problems will also be focused in this chapter. Chapter 4 This section will put forward the findings of the research. Due to the diverse ways used to research the issues, some of the findings will be put out in text, and some will be displayed in tables. The data will be examined in research of the following chapter, which sets out the conclusions. Chapter 5 This section will put out conclusions on the subject of the research objectives through connecting the research findings, with the findings of section 2. The chapter will talk about the limitations of the research and place opportunities for further research that will ahead make clear the problem area. Chapter 6 Based on the conclusion of section 5, this section involves advices and suggestions for new performance appraisal system. Summary This beginning section has familiarized the reader to the organisation, and quoted its new transformation. The section has exposed the need, to build up a performance culture, and contained by that, a full-bodied performance appraisal system. The research question and objectives have been put out, together with the methodology to be used to deal with the objectives. Structure of thesis Literature Review Introduction This section reviews literature related to the research objectives. It develops a theoretical base upon which the research is established. It begins with an examination of what performance is, and why it is measured. The section then takes into account how performance appraisal fits into the parent regulation of performance management. A literature review covering appraisal systems and their application pursues, and this consists of reference to the system in place. The above information will then guide to the construct of the conceptual framework that will be experienced through the research. Performance defined The Oxford English dictionary classifies performance as the â€Å"accomplishment, execution, carrying out, and designing out of everything ordered or undertaken†. Performance is a subject not only of what people get, but how they attain it (Armstrong and Baron, 2005). Performance is a multidimensional concept, the dimension of which depends on a kind of issues (Bates and Holton, 1995). Performance indicates both behaviours and findings. Behaviours are also outcomes in their particular right and can be evaluated apart from answers (Brumbach, 1988). From the explanation, and understandings above, it can be disputed that performance is not only about productivity, it is also related with acts and behaviours established to get given goals. This subject will attribute strongly through the study. Performance Management features The main series of performance management are: Recognition of strategic objectives, background of department / team objectives, activities acknowledged / performance table developed, output decided, monitor / study of performance through appraisal, verify development needs and assign rewards Williams (2004). For personals, this needs they should be capable to respond the following questions which are as follows: What is projected of me? How am I doing? What shall I do subsequently? What assist will I need? (Macauley and Cook 1994) Very small of the literature study links this to team performance. Outstanding exceptions are Armstrong and Baron (1998) who grieve for the need of notice paid to team performance, and Brumbach (2003) who claims strongly for the value of team management, and puts forward the above four questions could be adapted. Performance Management Cycle The existing model of performance management is put out below. It is very much personal based and permits for no measurement of team performance. Armstrong and Baron (1998) and Brumback (2003) grieve for the need of attention paid to the management of team performance and this will be looked more in this research. The series is as follows and is like to the normal model as planed above. Recognise strategic objectives Build up team plans Develop personal goals and outputs Performance appraisal Personal development plans / Rewards The concept seems reasonable, but relevance will be tested in describe throughout this research. The form is planned by HR Department and no formal teaching is given, apart from a briefing notice distributed to managers. Williams (2002) suggests teaching being integrated into the cycle to make sure reliability of application. Conceptual Framework Background The idea of performance appraisal dates back to the First World War and was then called â€Å"Merit Rating Program†. More than a period of time, this thought has gone through many modifications. Once an employee has been chosen, taught and boarded on his responsibilities, it is time for performance appraisal. What is performance appraisal? Why do firms need to procure up this task? It is the course of evaluating the performance and qualifications of the members of staff in phrase of job necessity, for administrative reasons such as placement, selection and promotion, to give financial rewards and other acts which need differential management among the members of a group as distinguished from acts influencing all members equally (Carl Heyel). Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal is more and more measured one of the most significant human resource practices (Boswell and Boudreau, 2002). The subsequent part will show how appraisal, although only one component of the wider system explained above, is vital to the success of Performance Management (Piggot-Irvine, 2003). The Oxford English Dictionary classifies appraise as â€Å"estimate the worth or attribute of†. Connecting this to performance, Bird (2003) recommend performance appraisal is the measurement of what we produce and how. Corporately, the firm was seen to be unsuccessful, hence the alteration, yet 98% of all staff were scaled as good or excellent. This puts in weight to the aspect of Brumbach (2003) who recommends that the appraisal system can be seen as a false annual practice. There is a lot research which recommends that appraisal is not carried out well, or welcomed in some cases. Performance appraisal is a yearly formal procedure of channel that generates anxiety and worry in the most experienced, battle hardened managers (Roberts and Pregitzer 2007). Due to the one-sided characteristic of appraisals, it is not astonishing there has been a lot written on partiality, inaccuracy and natural unfairness of most systems (DeNisi 1996). A number of studies presenting worldwide disappointments with appraisal, in specific citing research of 50,000 respondents that discloses only 13% of employees and 6% of Executives believe their firms appraisal process is useful (Bellehumeur and Dupuis 2009). A most important trouble in Towers Perrin Performance process practices (Brown 2001). He mentions need of teaching for managers is mainly significant. The key findings were; Managers do not take the method sincerely Insufficient try from all involved Awful statements and training obstruct effectiveness The systems are too distinctive, remote and disruptive, and Evaluation can be contradictory and dishonest Present appraisal practice motivates most staff to a level similar to a visit to the dentist (Wilson and Western 2001) The above analysis appears ruthless, and the research to pursue will test these beliefs within Sidmak. Even though the criticism and doubt, performance appraisal looks surrounded into the public and private sector. It is here to live. Managers and employees carry on believing performance appraisal systems whilst accepting they are filled with factual error (Bellehumeur Dupuis 2009). The following part seems at the sections of performance appraisal. The purpose of performance appraisal A starting peak for a complete literature review on performance appraisal should be what are the goals and purposes? Thinking on the advantages of appraisal systems has moved on. Early literature, best established by Stewart and Stewart (1987), mentions the advantages of appraisal system, but these were primarily from the organisation point of view. Boice and Kleiner (1997) recommend the overall objective of performance appraisal is to allow an employee recognise how his or her performance evaluates with the managers anticipations. Again, this is a one dimensional observation. Fletcher (2006) takes a more stable observation, recommending that for performance appraisal to be productive and beneficial, there requires to be something in it for appraiser and appraise. Youngcourt, Leiva and Jones (2007) recommend that the general purpose of performance appraisal leans to be directed at the measurement of personals, and take into account that this focus is not enough. From the organisation point of view, a profitable and doing well performance management is the vital key to success of corporate aims. It is argued above that performance appraisal is the essential part of performance management, and so it must be that for an organisation, the intention of performance appraisal is the skill and ability of corporate goals. Caruth and Humphreys (2008) add to this viewpoint by recommending it is a business requirement that the performance appraisal system consists of characteristics to meet the organisational necessities and all of its stakeholders with management and staff. Bach (2000) recommends that one of the basic reasons of performance appraisal systems is to draw out corporate fulfillment. In spite of this, the majority of the literature reviewed for this research focuses on the objectives of performance appraisal from the personal point of view, mainly concentrating on measurement of personal performance, recognizing training and allocating rewards. Weightman (1996) concentrates on the personal when citing the aim of performance appraisal, recommending it can be utilised for many reasons, together with; reward, discipline, coaching, counseling, raising morale, measuring achievement of targets and outputs, recognizing development opportunities, improving upward and downward communication, reinforcing management control and choosing people for promotion or redundancy. Fletcher (1993) mentions a study where 80% of respondents were unhappy with their appraisal system, in specific with diversity of objectives. Randell (1994) also focuses a multiplicity of principle together with; valuation, auditing, chain planning, training, controlling and inspiration. Rees and Porter (2 003) mention that a general problem is that systems have too many goals. They add that there can be inconsistency between goals, but do not increase on this point. Based on the examinations of others, maybe it is the contradiction between control and development that is apparent. What is reliable with all literature is that goals of performance appraisal are a mixture of backward looking/forward planning. The above covers a wide series of objectives, and asks for the question if appraisal is attempting to accomplish too much. The research will decide whether that range of objectives is related from the employee point of view. Yet again, from the personal point of view, Simmons (2002) illustrates together a range of resources, arguing that a forceful, performance enhancing and reasonable performance appraisal system, which increases the commitment of professionals, is a crucial factor in achieving a good return on an organisations â€Å"intellectual capital†. The important function of performance appraisal is to clarify pay and other financial compensation (Murphy and Cleveland 1995). The matter of outcomes of performance appraisal, such as pay, will be addressed afterward in this literature review and in the research. Performance appraisal can decrease role uncertainty (Pettijohn et al 2001) The most apparent reason for appraising a personal is to make safe its improvement (Harrison and Goulding 1997). It pursues that securing performance improvement for all personals, will increase wider organisation performance. General to almost all reason of performance appraisal is the model of improving performance developing people. In general, some commentators directs on organisation aims as the key purpose, many concentrates on personal performance informant. In a new organisation it is recommended that a system that meets both organisation and personal requirements is vital. From the above, the following table lists the recognised points of performance appraisal. The performance review procedure gives a motivation for constant improvement. The method is intended to supply the following benefits: An open review of performance at standard periods A focus for arrangement about setting apparent performance objectives which are connected to the corporate and business strategy A analysis of development requires and the setting of development action plans A relation to the annual salary review Performance appraisal systems As with the majority organisations, Sidmak has a recognised Performance Appraisal system surrounded within the performance and planning cycle. There should always be ultimate written and communicated process for performance appraisal (Allan 1994). Developing an appraisal system that precisely imitates employee performance is a difficult job (Boice and Kleiner 1997). A doing well performance appraisal system is one that has resulted from hard work, watchful ideas, planning and integrated with the approach and needs of the organisation (Caruth and Humphreys 2006). This will be observed during the experimental research. A large variety of techniques are used to carry out performance appraisals, from the simplest of ranking methods, to complex ability and/or behavioural secured ratings systems (Snape, Redman Bamber 1994). The quality of an organisations appraisal system is often indication on its resources and skill (Redman Wilkinson 2001). In association with different performance appraisal schemes, the Sidmak system can be measured simplistic. This is likely because of the irresponsibility of the organisation and a total of two staff in the HR department. There is a risk that highly characterized schemes can be too practical, with the result that conclusion of paperwork, or marking boxes, becomes the key driver (Rogers 1999). It is crucial that employees are also involved in the planning of the system, for practical, operational and psychological purposes (Harrison and Goulding 1997). Sidmak has not involved staff in growth and progress of the system but has a chance to get in hold with staff in updating any system. An integral part of performance management system Successful and efficient performance management needs a good arrangement of face-to-face supervisor-employee communication. By getting familiar with the subordinates, a supervisor can guide them onto a path of higher efficiency and optimized output. Long-term profitable and doing well business owners sight performance appraisal as a process of getting to know the people who work for them. It is the most considerable and crucial means for an organisation. It gives information, which makes easier in taking important judgments for the growth of an individual and the organisation. Thus, one stage of the yearly performance management cycle is performance appraisal, the method of reviewing employee performance vis-à  -vis the place beliefs in a sensible way, documenting the review, and supplying the review orally in a face-to-face meeting, to improve performance standards year over year through sincere and productive feedback. In the practice management insists on to reinforce the employees potency, recognise improvement areas so that one can work on them and also set extended objectives for the coming year. It is made up of the following two procedures both of which are qualitative subject to human prejudice observation and judgment. The factors of performance are a mixture of technical proficiency and behavioral characteristics. The concluding attains a high level of importance with regards to prospective appraisal. Concept of Performance Appraisal The idea of performance appraisal can be make clear with the analogy demonstrated below: The head of the key stands for the individuality of the employee. No two employees are similar. The ring stands for the managements necessity. The shaft stands for the communication among the employee and the organisation, the transmission of the duty and the response from the performer. Change Decades ago, the member of staff used to be appraised by his department leader or person in charge. The department leaders used to communicates the employee feedback and comments to the direct supervisor of the employee. Thus the feedback was kept private in character. As time passed by, the direct supervisor started appraising his subordinates performance and transfers his private information to the department leader. These were the times when the employee was not integrated in his appraisal method. The assessments used to be taken by his boss relating to his pay hike, promotion etc. So we can say that the system was non-transparent. The existing method of performance appraisal is much wider and gives a number of scopes for self-appraisal by the employee. The self-appraisal goes along by a joint discussion with superior and then a conclusion is taken by the department leader on his promotion, pay hike etc. The comment linking to the performance is directly given to the employee. Thus performance appraisal development has gone all through the stage of non-transparency to transparency. In this transparency stage, a performance appraisal can be described as a structured official communication between a subordinate and supervisor that generally takes the form of a periodic questionnaire, in which the work execution of the subordinate is observed and talk about, with a view to make out weak point and strong point as well as opportunities for progress and skills growth. In day to day interfaces, whether an organisation agrees to or not the value of performance appraisal, whether it takes on a formal appraisal system or not, top management is frequently appraising the performance of its subordinate managers. The last are doing the same to their personal subordinates. They are doing so as performance appraisal, official or in official, remains at the heart of management. Organizing is active process, related to the present and the future, and whereas performance appraisal, as usually used has been a static rating of an employee linked almost completely with the past. In recent times, as some management were recognizing that â€Å"rating† by itself had very partial value; they start on to appreciate that administration had changed into an art. They saw that â€Å"management by hunch† could no longer be accepted, and that dimensions-no matters how elusive were necessary for the future development of the art of administration. The necessity for measurements give birth to a number of â€Å"systems† of managing which attempts to pertain measurements of a variety of sorts to the different aspects and phases of the managers job. A number of these systems support on the better performance appraisal methods for their measuring methods or at least for initial point for measurement. In some cases, these systems stretched the meaning of performance appraisal from a simple rating to take in the whole theory of management with all its components. Foundations of Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal reviews how well employees have been doing their jobs and what they must do to be better in their responsibilities. It trades with the subjects of the job and what they are anticipated to accomplish in each part of their work. Following are the groundwork in performance appraisal process. Job profile Job explanation focuses more on the definition of duties the jobholders has to complete. It contains lists of reporting relationship and usually covers the overall objectives of the job. It points out how a personals job will add to the achievement of goals of a team or a department and in the end the mission of the organisation. Objectives An objective explains about, which has to be proficient, capable and skillful. Objectives classify what organisations, functions, departments, teams and personals are anticipated to attain. There are two types of objectives: Work of equipped objectives: It passes on to the result to be attained or the input to be made to the success of team, departmental and corporate objectives. Development objectives: It is related with what personal should do and gain knowledge to develop their performance and/or their knowledge, skills and competencies. Competencies Competencies refer to be behavioral scope of a job. It is the behaviour needed of employees to carry out their work acceptably. Competencies are what employee takes to a profession in the kind of different types and levels of behaviour. They rule the process features of job performance. Values Increasingly, organisations are locating out the principal values that they believe should preside over the behaviour of all their employees. Values declarations may be organised which define principal values in areas such as care for customers, interest for employee, competitiveness, quality, progress, innovation. Three essential steps for effective performance appraisal The procedure of getting to recognise the employee who does job for the organisation includes three main steps. i.e. training, evaluation and review. Training Successful training is the execution of a system in which each person in the workplace is geared towards development and expansion. It includes a hands on tactic in which the employee is confident to appraise himself or herself under the leadership and direction of the appraiser. How it works? First, the appraiser involves the employee in the appraisal procedure. When an employee realise that his or her judgment of other employees is taken into account, he or she also realizes that everyone else judgment counts just as much. This not only allows the employee and develops relations in the workplace, but it promotes higher efficiency as well. This interactive method is made done with the leadership of the appraiser. Carefully administering honor coupled with positive appreciation keeps the workforce on its toes. Evaluation The most excellent ways for employee assessment are relied on results and behaviour. While carrying out performance appraisal based on employees characteristic personality is quite common, the outcomes are repeatedly subjective and unsatisfactory. A result-based method to performance appraisal is by far the cleanest, most intention method of tackling the difficult job of assessment. It uses a ranking system to assess productivity within a given period of time. If an employee makes a definite number of sales in a specified week, he or she can be rated by absolute worth as well as ranked against other employees. The review of behaviour is closely joined to productivity. The speed of work, enthusiasm to put in overtime and talent to work with others all add to overall productivity. Review The review process should, again, employ the methods of interactivity. Before meeting down together, the appraiser should offer the employee opportunity to review him or herself. This not only allows the employee, but also keeps a lot to time and possible opinion during the real discussion. Primarily the appraiser should walk the employee during the procedure. The doing well supervisor starts out with a general idea of why the review session is desirable. Then the supervisor guides the employee down a point-by-point record of every features of the job. In each case, the employee should be given an opportunity to explain his or her accomplishments and deficiencies. The supervisor should constantly complement this with added insight. While admiring and applying assessment the supervisor keeps authority throughout the review and in fact the whole appraisal process. Designing an appraisal process Before knowing the method of appraisal, the following phrases are reworked. Performance submits to an employees achievements of allocated jobs. Performance appraisal is the methodical report of the job-relevant strengths and weaknesses of a personal or a group. Appraisal period is the duration of time during which an employees work performance is scrutinize in order to make a formal report of it. Performance management is the complete method of watching an employees work in relation to job necessity over a period of time and then Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal System Introduction The whole principle of this study report is to identify and appreciate the value of performance appraisal system, from the staff point of view, in command to notify a developed system that will be executed in Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. The first chapter gives a general idea of the entire dissertation. It will present background to the research, give explanation exactly what the matter is that needs research, validate the project, and present a summary of the methodology that will be used. Background to the research Sidmak India was established in 1984 in technical collaboration with Sidmak USA. Sidmak India has successfully adopted various technology platforms under this collaboration and continues to develop additional technologies. Sidmak Laboratories (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a pharmaceutical corporation contains developing ability at Gujarat, India. Sidmak point towards at improved safety and ease for human life through a dedicated excellence in manufacturing recommendation drugs, specifically oral dosages. The organisation is permitted by W.H.O. as per GMP rule and by local FDA as per Drug and Cosmetic Act. The organisation has skill in the production of constant release solid dosage mode. Sidmak manufactures both pharmaceuticals as well as nutraceuticals products. The organisation preserves highest level of quality by sticking on to cGMP and cGLP compliance rule in manufacturing products and meeting national and international requirement. Working with Sidmak has given me good experience about how to work in an organisation. It has also given me knowledge about the flow or work from one department to another department. Thought the work flow is very smooth in Sidmak, I personally feel that it can be more productive and beneficial to the employee and the organisation if company adopts proper appraisal system. Research Questions The whole research dilemma relates to the reliability and effectiveness of performance appraisal systems. The literature review will sketch many comments in relation to the plan and function of such systems. It was transparent from administrating the literature review that a large amount had been written regarding the effectiveness of performance appraisal system. The goal, therefore, of this dissertation is to realize and appreciate the effectiveness of performance appraisal, from the staff point of view. Four objectives have been recognised, and by undertaking these unified objectives, a comprehensive literature review, and new practical research, answers to the problem should be known. The objectives of this research are: Methodology The research pattern take on is interpretive. The interpretive model is an idealistic location which is related to with understanding the way we humans build logic of the world surrounding us (Saunder at al, 2007). The purpose for this method are set out in describe in the methodology. The study method is qualitative. The methodology is extra related with human questions than pure science. The literature review does not place out a specific theory, but does set up a theoretical structure to assist the gathering and study of data, to respond the research issues. The preferred research tactic is a case study. The practical data will be established on qualitative interview techniques. This will present the utmost transform of successful research, as it will quantify human reaction. It can also be accomplished inside the timescale of the project. Semi-structured interviews and utilise of secondary data from comprehensive Employee estimation Survey will be incorporated in the research methods. The primary source includes the personal experience which I had experienced while working with Sidmak Laboratories (I) Pvt. Ltd. and the secondary sources includes information gathered through surfing the internet, information available on intranet site on knowledge management, different study materials, and sample performance appraisal forms obtained from reliable resources. The research will permit evaluation between groups of employees, to find out if duration of service or superiority is a issue. Privacy will be guaranteed to participants and the information will be edited to look after the identification of persons before it is pass around to the organisations management board. Outline of the chapters Chapter 1 This chapter presents a summary of the entire project. It puts out what the research area is, splits it down into a sequence of objectives for the project, and associates this to the background of the firm that is to be researched in depth. Chapter 2 This section reviews literature related to the research purposes. It constructs a theoretical establishment upon which the research is build. It starts with an assessment of what performance is, and why it is measured. The vital parts of a valuable and efficient performance appraisal system consist of recognize its foundations and the important steps that set the foundation. It is also essential to make out the objectives and advantages of this system. For profit realization it is required to recognize Key Result Areas (KRAs) i.e. goal setting and observe resulting performance so that a significant relationship between performance, reward and development of necessary skills, through counseling, can be set up. And a lot of thinking, suggestions and bright ideas are required to be done to develop a sensible appraisal system by assessing available techniques and execution process. The section then takes into account how performance appraisal fits into the parent control of performance m anagement. A study of literature including appraisal systems and their application follows, and this consists of reference to new appraisals. The above data will then direct to the creating of the conceptual type that will be build up through the research. Chapter 3 This section explains the methodology that will be employed to collect the primary data. It will sketch the research model selected, put out the research strategy, and also give explanation for the selection of the methodology. Ethical problems will also be focused in this chapter. Chapter 4 This section will put forward the findings of the research. Due to the diverse ways used to research the issues, some of the findings will be put out in text, and some will be displayed in tables. The data will be examined in research of the following chapter, which sets out the conclusions. Chapter 5 This section will put out conclusions on the subject of the research objectives through connecting the research findings, with the findings of section 2. The chapter will talk about the limitations of the research and place opportunities for further research that will ahead make clear the problem area. Chapter 6 Based on the conclusion of section 5, this section involves advices and suggestions for new performance appraisal system. Summary This beginning section has familiarized the reader to the organisation, and quoted its new transformation. The section has exposed the need, to build up a performance culture, and contained by that, a full-bodied performance appraisal system. The research question and objectives have been put out, together with the methodology to be used to deal with the objectives. Structure of thesis Literature Review Introduction This section reviews literature related to the research objectives. It develops a theoretical base upon which the research is established. It begins with an examination of what performance is, and why it is measured. The section then takes into account how performance appraisal fits into the parent regulation of performance management. A literature review covering appraisal systems and their application pursues, and this consists of reference to the system in place. The above information will then guide to the construct of the conceptual framework that will be experienced through the research. Performance defined The Oxford English dictionary classifies performance as the â€Å"accomplishment, execution, carrying out, and designing out of everything ordered or undertaken†. Performance is a subject not only of what people get, but how they attain it (Armstrong and Baron, 2005). Performance is a multidimensional concept, the dimension of which depends on a kind of issues (Bates and Holton, 1995). Performance indicates both behaviours and findings. Behaviours are also outcomes in their particular right and can be evaluated apart from answers (Brumbach, 1988). From the explanation, and understandings above, it can be disputed that performance is not only about productivity, it is also related with acts and behaviours established to get given goals. This subject will attribute strongly through the study. Performance Management features The main series of performance management are: Recognition of strategic objectives, background of department / team objectives, activities acknowledged / performance table developed, output decided, monitor / study of performance through appraisal, verify development needs and assign rewards Williams (2004). For personals, this needs they should be capable to respond the following questions which are as follows: What is projected of me? How am I doing? What shall I do subsequently? What assist will I need? (Macauley and Cook 1994) Very small of the literature study links this to team performance. Outstanding exceptions are Armstrong and Baron (1998) who grieve for the need of notice paid to team performance, and Brumbach (2003) who claims strongly for the value of team management, and puts forward the above four questions could be adapted. Performance Management Cycle The existing model of performance management is put out below. It is very much personal based and permits for no measurement of team performance. Armstrong and Baron (1998) and Brumback (2003) grieve for the need of attention paid to the management of team performance and this will be looked more in this research. The series is as follows and is like to the normal model as planed above. Recognise strategic objectives Build up team plans Develop personal goals and outputs Performance appraisal Personal development plans / Rewards The concept seems reasonable, but relevance will be tested in describe throughout this research. The form is planned by HR Department and no formal teaching is given, apart from a briefing notice distributed to managers. Williams (2002) suggests teaching being integrated into the cycle to make sure reliability of application. Conceptual Framework Background The idea of performance appraisal dates back to the First World War and was then called â€Å"Merit Rating Program†. More than a period of time, this thought has gone through many modifications. Once an employee has been chosen, taught and boarded on his responsibilities, it is time for performance appraisal. What is performance appraisal? Why do firms need to procure up this task? It is the course of evaluating the performance and qualifications of the members of staff in phrase of job necessity, for administrative reasons such as placement, selection and promotion, to give financial rewards and other acts which need differential management among the members of a group as distinguished from acts influencing all members equally (Carl Heyel). Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal is more and more measured one of the most significant human resource practices (Boswell and Boudreau, 2002). The subsequent part will show how appraisal, although only one component of the wider system explained above, is vital to the success of Performance Management (Piggot-Irvine, 2003). The Oxford English Dictionary classifies appraise as â€Å"estimate the worth or attribute of†. Connecting this to performance, Bird (2003) recommend performance appraisal is the measurement of what we produce and how. Corporately, the firm was seen to be unsuccessful, hence the alteration, yet 98% of all staff were scaled as good or excellent. This puts in weight to the aspect of Brumbach (2003) who recommends that the appraisal system can be seen as a false annual practice. There is a lot research which recommends that appraisal is not carried out well, or welcomed in some cases. Performance appraisal is a yearly formal procedure of channel that generates anxiety and worry in the most experienced, battle hardened managers (Roberts and Pregitzer 2007). Due to the one-sided characteristic of appraisals, it is not astonishing there has been a lot written on partiality, inaccuracy and natural unfairness of most systems (DeNisi 1996). A number of studies presenting worldwide disappointments with appraisal, in specific citing research of 50,000 respondents that discloses only 13% of employees and 6% of Executives believe their firms appraisal process is useful (Bellehumeur and Dupuis 2009). A most important trouble in Towers Perrin Performance process practices (Brown 2001). He mentions need of teaching for managers is mainly significant. The key findings were; Managers do not take the method sincerely Insufficient try from all involved Awful statements and training obstruct effectiveness The systems are too distinctive, remote and disruptive, and Evaluation can be contradictory and dishonest Present appraisal practice motivates most staff to a level similar to a visit to the dentist (Wilson and Western 2001) The above analysis appears ruthless, and the research to pursue will test these beliefs within Sidmak. Even though the criticism and doubt, performance appraisal looks surrounded into the public and private sector. It is here to live. Managers and employees carry on believing performance appraisal systems whilst accepting they are filled with factual error (Bellehumeur Dupuis 2009). The following part seems at the sections of performance appraisal. The purpose of performance appraisal A starting peak for a complete literature review on performance appraisal should be what are the goals and purposes? Thinking on the advantages of appraisal systems has moved on. Early literature, best established by Stewart and Stewart (1987), mentions the advantages of appraisal system, but these were primarily from the organisation point of view. Boice and Kleiner (1997) recommend the overall objective of performance appraisal is to allow an employee recognise how his or her performance evaluates with the managers anticipations. Again, this is a one dimensional observation. Fletcher (2006) takes a more stable observation, recommending that for performance appraisal to be productive and beneficial, there requires to be something in it for appraiser and appraise. Youngcourt, Leiva and Jones (2007) recommend that the general purpose of performance appraisal leans to be directed at the measurement of personals, and take into account that this focus is not enough. From the organisation point of view, a profitable and doing well performance management is the vital key to success of corporate aims. It is argued above that performance appraisal is the essential part of performance management, and so it must be that for an organisation, the intention of performance appraisal is the skill and ability of corporate goals. Caruth and Humphreys (2008) add to this viewpoint by recommending it is a business requirement that the performance appraisal system consists of characteristics to meet the organisational necessities and all of its stakeholders with management and staff. Bach (2000) recommends that one of the basic reasons of performance appraisal systems is to draw out corporate fulfillment. In spite of this, the majority of the literature reviewed for this research focuses on the objectives of performance appraisal from the personal point of view, mainly concentrating on measurement of personal performance, recognizing training and allocating rewards. Weightman (1996) concentrates on the personal when citing the aim of performance appraisal, recommending it can be utilised for many reasons, together with; reward, discipline, coaching, counseling, raising morale, measuring achievement of targets and outputs, recognizing development opportunities, improving upward and downward communication, reinforcing management control and choosing people for promotion or redundancy. Fletcher (1993) mentions a study where 80% of respondents were unhappy with their appraisal system, in specific with diversity of objectives. Randell (1994) also focuses a multiplicity of principle together with; valuation, auditing, chain planning, training, controlling and inspiration. Rees and Porter (2 003) mention that a general problem is that systems have too many goals. They add that there can be inconsistency between goals, but do not increase on this point. Based on the examinations of others, maybe it is the contradiction between control and development that is apparent. What is reliable with all literature is that goals of performance appraisal are a mixture of backward looking/forward planning. The above covers a wide series of objectives, and asks for the question if appraisal is attempting to accomplish too much. The research will decide whether that range of objectives is related from the employee point of view. Yet again, from the personal point of view, Simmons (2002) illustrates together a range of resources, arguing that a forceful, performance enhancing and reasonable performance appraisal system, which increases the commitment of professionals, is a crucial factor in achieving a good return on an organisations â€Å"intellectual capital†. The important function of performance appraisal is to clarify pay and other financial compensation (Murphy and Cleveland 1995). The matter of outcomes of performance appraisal, such as pay, will be addressed afterward in this literature review and in the research. Performance appraisal can decrease role uncertainty (Pettijohn et al 2001) The most apparent reason for appraising a personal is to make safe its improvement (Harrison and Goulding 1997). It pursues that securing performance improvement for all personals, will increase wider organisation performance. General to almost all reason of performance appraisal is the model of improving performance developing people. In general, some commentators directs on organisation aims as the key purpose, many concentrates on personal performance informant. In a new organisation it is recommended that a system that meets both organisation and personal requirements is vital. From the above, the following table lists the recognised points of performance appraisal. The performance review procedure gives a motivation for constant improvement. The method is intended to supply the following benefits: An open review of performance at standard periods A focus for arrangement about setting apparent performance objectives which are connected to the corporate and business strategy A analysis of development requires and the setting of development action plans A relation to the annual salary review Performance appraisal systems As with the majority organisations, Sidmak has a recognised Performance Appraisal system surrounded within the performance and planning cycle. There should always be ultimate written and communicated process for performance appraisal (Allan 1994). Developing an appraisal system that precisely imitates employee performance is a difficult job (Boice and Kleiner 1997). A doing well performance appraisal system is one that has resulted from hard work, watchful ideas, planning and integrated with the approach and needs of the organisation (Caruth and Humphreys 2006). This will be observed during the experimental research. A large variety of techniques are used to carry out performance appraisals, from the simplest of ranking methods, to complex ability and/or behavioural secured ratings systems (Snape, Redman Bamber 1994). The quality of an organisations appraisal system is often indication on its resources and skill (Redman Wilkinson 2001). In association with different performance appraisal schemes, the Sidmak system can be measured simplistic. This is likely because of the irresponsibility of the organisation and a total of two staff in the HR department. There is a risk that highly characterized schemes can be too practical, with the result that conclusion of paperwork, or marking boxes, becomes the key driver (Rogers 1999). It is crucial that employees are also involved in the planning of the system, for practical, operational and psychological purposes (Harrison and Goulding 1997). Sidmak has not involved staff in growth and progress of the system but has a chance to get in hold with staff in updating any system. An integral part of performance management system Successful and efficient performance management needs a good arrangement of face-to-face supervisor-employee communication. By getting familiar with the subordinates, a supervisor can guide them onto a path of higher efficiency and optimized output. Long-term profitable and doing well business owners sight performance appraisal as a process of getting to know the people who work for them. It is the most considerable and crucial means for an organisation. It gives information, which makes easier in taking important judgments for the growth of an individual and the organisation. Thus, one stage of the yearly performance management cycle is performance appraisal, the method of reviewing employee performance vis-à  -vis the place beliefs in a sensible way, documenting the review, and supplying the review orally in a face-to-face meeting, to improve performance standards year over year through sincere and productive feedback. In the practice management insists on to reinforce the employees potency, recognise improvement areas so that one can work on them and also set extended objectives for the coming year. It is made up of the following two procedures both of which are qualitative subject to human prejudice observation and judgment. The factors of performance are a mixture of technical proficiency and behavioral characteristics. The concluding attains a high level of importance with regards to prospective appraisal. Concept of Performance Appraisal The idea of performance appraisal can be make clear with the analogy demonstrated below: The head of the key stands for the individuality of the employee. No two employees are similar. The ring stands for the managements necessity. The shaft stands for the communication among the employee and the organisation, the transmission of the duty and the response from the performer. Change Decades ago, the member of staff used to be appraised by his department leader or person in charge. The department leaders used to communicates the employee feedback and comments to the direct supervisor of the employee. Thus the feedback was kept private in character. As time passed by, the direct supervisor started appraising his subordinates performance and transfers his private information to the department leader. These were the times when the employee was not integrated in his appraisal method. The assessments used to be taken by his boss relating to his pay hike, promotion etc. So we can say that the system was non-transparent. The existing method of performance appraisal is much wider and gives a number of scopes for self-appraisal by the employee. The self-appraisal goes along by a joint discussion with superior and then a conclusion is taken by the department leader on his promotion, pay hike etc. The comment linking to the performance is directly given to the employee. Thus performance appraisal development has gone all through the stage of non-transparency to transparency. In this transparency stage, a performance appraisal can be described as a structured official communication between a subordinate and supervisor that generally takes the form of a periodic questionnaire, in which the work execution of the subordinate is observed and talk about, with a view to make out weak point and strong point as well as opportunities for progress and skills growth. In day to day interfaces, whether an organisation agrees to or not the value of performance appraisal, whether it takes on a formal appraisal system or not, top management is frequently appraising the performance of its subordinate managers. The last are doing the same to their personal subordinates. They are doing so as performance appraisal, official or in official, remains at the heart of management. Organizing is active process, related to the present and the future, and whereas performance appraisal, as usually used has been a static rating of an employee linked almost completely with the past. In recent times, as some management were recognizing that â€Å"rating† by itself had very partial value; they start on to appreciate that administration had changed into an art. They saw that â€Å"management by hunch† could no longer be accepted, and that dimensions-no matters how elusive were necessary for the future development of the art of administration. The necessity for measurements give birth to a number of â€Å"systems† of managing which attempts to pertain measurements of a variety of sorts to the different aspects and phases of the managers job. A number of these systems support on the better performance appraisal methods for their measuring methods or at least for initial point for measurement. In some cases, these systems stretched the meaning of performance appraisal from a simple rating to take in the whole theory of management with all its components. Foundations of Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal reviews how well employees have been doing their jobs and what they must do to be better in their responsibilities. It trades with the subjects of the job and what they are anticipated to accomplish in each part of their work. Following are the groundwork in performance appraisal process. Job profile Job explanation focuses more on the definition of duties the jobholders has to complete. It contains lists of reporting relationship and usually covers the overall objectives of the job. It points out how a personals job will add to the achievement of goals of a team or a department and in the end the mission of the organisation. Objectives An objective explains about, which has to be proficient, capable and skillful. Objectives classify what organisations, functions, departments, teams and personals are anticipated to attain. There are two types of objectives: Work of equipped objectives: It passes on to the result to be attained or the input to be made to the success of team, departmental and corporate objectives. Development objectives: It is related with what personal should do and gain knowledge to develop their performance and/or their knowledge, skills and competencies. Competencies Competencies refer to be behavioral scope of a job. It is the behaviour needed of employees to carry out their work acceptably. Competencies are what employee takes to a profession in the kind of different types and levels of behaviour. They rule the process features of job performance. Values Increasingly, organisations are locating out the principal values that they believe should preside over the behaviour of all their employees. Values declarations may be organised which define principal values in areas such as care for customers, interest for employee, competitiveness, quality, progress, innovation. Three essential steps for effective performance appraisal The procedure of getting to recognise the employee who does job for the organisation includes three main steps. i.e. training, evaluation and review. Training Successful training is the execution of a system in which each person in the workplace is geared towards development and expansion. It includes a hands on tactic in which the employee is confident to appraise himself or herself under the leadership and direction of the appraiser. How it works? First, the appraiser involves the employee in the appraisal procedure. When an employee realise that his or her judgment of other employees is taken into account, he or she also realizes that everyone else judgment counts just as much. This not only allows the employee and develops relations in the workplace, but it promotes higher efficiency as well. This interactive method is made done with the leadership of the appraiser. Carefully administering honor coupled with positive appreciation keeps the workforce on its toes. Evaluation The most excellent ways for employee assessment are relied on results and behaviour. While carrying out performance appraisal based on employees characteristic personality is quite common, the outcomes are repeatedly subjective and unsatisfactory. A result-based method to performance appraisal is by far the cleanest, most intention method of tackling the difficult job of assessment. It uses a ranking system to assess productivity within a given period of time. If an employee makes a definite number of sales in a specified week, he or she can be rated by absolute worth as well as ranked against other employees. The review of behaviour is closely joined to productivity. The speed of work, enthusiasm to put in overtime and talent to work with others all add to overall productivity. Review The review process should, again, employ the methods of interactivity. Before meeting down together, the appraiser should offer the employee opportunity to review him or herself. This not only allows the employee, but also keeps a lot to time and possible opinion during the real discussion. Primarily the appraiser should walk the employee during the procedure. The doing well supervisor starts out with a general idea of why the review session is desirable. Then the supervisor guides the employee down a point-by-point record of every features of the job. In each case, the employee should be given an opportunity to explain his or her accomplishments and deficiencies. The supervisor should constantly complement this with added insight. While admiring and applying assessment the supervisor keeps authority throughout the review and in fact the whole appraisal process. Designing an appraisal process Before knowing the method of appraisal, the following phrases are reworked. Performance submits to an employees achievements of allocated jobs. Performance appraisal is the methodical report of the job-relevant strengths and weaknesses of a personal or a group. Appraisal period is the duration of time during which an employees work performance is scrutinize in order to make a formal report of it. Performance management is the complete method of watching an employees work in relation to job necessity over a period of time and then